Journal lubricator



y 26, H. F. HACKEDORN, JR 2,477,177

JOURNAL LUBRICATOR Fil ed March 51, 1947 I I v v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmvrok. HILL/S F-HACKEDOJEMJIP- A TTOENEYS Patented July 26, 1949 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE JOURNAL LUBRICATOR Hillis F. Hackedorn, Jr., Lakewood, Ohio Application March 31, 1947, Serial No. 738,400

8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to lubricators and more particularly to journal lubricators for use in railroad car journal boxes or the like.

The wheels of railroad cars are normally supported on axles having their outboard ends extending into journal boxes which enclose the journals and their supporting bearings. The journal box serves as a reservoir for lubricating oil and also protects the journal bearing from dust, grit, water, etc. Various means have been proposed for feeding lubricating oil from the base or sump portion of the journal box up to the under side of the journal to provide the necessary continuous lubrication of the bearing. Various types of so-called mechanical journal lubricators have been proposed and used which include spring means for retaining a fabric pad or the like against the journal and an arrangement of wicks for feeding oil from the journal box sump to the pad. A successful embodiment of this type of lubricator is disclosed in my copending United States patent application Serial No. 655,112, filed March 18, 1946, and the apparatus described herein contains certain features in common with that of my said copending patent application, particularly in that I have illustrated herein a shaft engaging member of wool carpeting or the like having cotton wicking secured thereto in the manner described and claimed in my said copending patent application.

As the standard journal boxes of present day railway equipment were, in most instances, designed for use with ordinary waste packing they are not usually provided with sufficient clearance between the end of the journal shaft and the bottom portion of the journal box to permit the easy installation and removal of journal box lubricators of the resiliently supported type. It is therefore among the objects of my present invention to provide a lubricator which may readily be inserted into and removed from journal boxes wherein the clearance between the end of the journal or shaft and the bottom of the journal box is relatively small and the bottom of the journal box door is located above the bottom of the journal box proper, thus requiring that the lubricator be inserted at an angle.

Other objects of my invention include the provision of a journal lubricator which may be deformed during installation to permit it to enter through the available clearance spaces and which, when reaching operating position, will resume its normal shape and serve to maintain proper contact between the lubricator pad and the journal; the provision of'an articulated, spring supported journal lubricator having a pad supporting portion which may readily be bent or curved in one direction but which is positively restrained from bending in the opposite direction; the provision of a journal lubricator which is adaptable for use in journal boxes of various different designs, and which may be employed in standard railway journal boxes without change or modification of the journal box arrangement; the provision of a journal lubricator which, although sufficiently flexible and resilient in directions which permit its ready installation in journal boxes having small clearance spaces, provides a rugged and efficient lubricator which will give long and trouble-free life after installation; and the provision of a journal lubricator which may be economically manufactured, which will engage the shaft or journal with a substantially uniform and constant pressure throughout the length of the lubricator pad surface, and which will maintain a proper supply of oil at the lubricating face of the lubricator at all times.

The above and other objects of my invention will appear from the following description of one embodiment thereof, reference belng'had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross sectional view through a typical railway journal box assembly, the section being taken substantially on the center line of the journal and my lubricator being shown in operating positon.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view, generally similar to Figure 1, but illustrating the lubricator in a partially installed position showing how the lubricator structure may be bent and compressed to permit insertion or removal through the limited available clearance space.

Figure 3 is a plan view of my improved journal box lubricator, the lubricating pad and wicking being removed to illustrate more clearly the supporting structure.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross sectional view of the lubricator shown in Figure 3, taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3 and including a portion of the lubricator pad and oil feed wicks.

Figure 5 is a detached perspective view of one of the articulated members which make up the pad supporting frame or platform structure.

As seen in Figure 1 the shaft S includes a journal or bearing engaging portion l and a flanged outer collar or head portion 2. Journal I is supported in the usual and well-known manner by the bearing brass 3 which in turn is mounted in the journal box B. It will, of course, be understood that the bearing brass 3 engages only the upper part of the shaft journal I leaving the lower part thereof exposed so that it may be supplied with lubricating oil from the base or sump portion 5 of the journal box Bl At the outer end of the journal box B an opening 5 is provided which is normally closed by a door or lid 7 which has a hinged connection to the journal box at 8. In order to provide a sump for maintaining a reservoir of oil in the journal box the bottom edge 9 of the opening 6 is located above the base portion of the journal box and it will be seen that, due to the relatively small clearance space (see Figure 1) between the collar 2 and the base of the journal box B, a lubricator unit must be capable of considerable deformation and compression to permit it readily to be placed in operating position in the journal box or removed therefrom.

Referring now particularly to Figures 3, 4 and 5, my lubricator includes a pad supporting platform or frame structure, generally indicated at F and a lubricating pad III which is preferably a section of wool carpet like material having its nap uppermost and provided with wicks I I of cotton cord, or other suitable material, which, as is best seen in Figure 2, are preferably sewed up through the base portion I2 of the pad I0 and which when in use, hang down into the pool of oil a in the sump 5 and serve to carry oil upwardly by capillary action to the pad it.

It is important that the pad Ill be maintained in uniform contact with the shaft I so that the feed of lubricant will be] uniform and uneven wearing of the pad will be avoided. This is effectively accomplished by my pad supporting frame structure F which includes a pair of longitudinally extendingspaced resilient spring metal strap members I2 and I3 to which are secured a plurality of interlocked transverse frame sections. As illustrated, five transverse sections are employed to make up the complete platform unit F but it will be understood that this number may be increased or decreased to accommodate various installation conditions and for different sizes of lubricator units.

The strap members I2 and I3 are secured to the opposite ends of the central transverse frame section A as by rivets. I 4 and I5 which rivets may also conveniently serve to secure the curved upper spring support members It and I! to the center frame section A. A lower spring support member I6 has a hinged connection at its ends to the ends of the upper spring member I6 and a corresponding lower spring support member I'i is correspondingly hinged at its ends to the upper spring support I'I. These spring members are preferably approximately the same width as the strap members I2 and I3 and are disposed directly therebeneath. It will be understood that the spring assemblies Iii-46 and I'II'i provide spaced resilient supports for the frame or platform F and urge the frame F upwardly to maintain the pad III in proper engagement with the journal when the lubricator is installed in a journal box as seen in Figure 1. The lower spring members I6 and I1 are curved so that their upper surfaces are generally concave but include centraF- reyersely curved portions 16 and I1 and ehgu er sp 'ng members I6 and I 7 also have sheir 'rraess nc'ave. By so forming these supporting springs 611a siiig and deforming of the springstructu to ohcup 'inimum space, as indicated FigureeZ 'durmg mova l oral ubricator ffro he'journal'box is facilitated anu azpropes spring'suspension is pro vided for the frame or platform F. As will appear more fully later, attachment of the upper spring members I6 and I! to the center section A only of the frame F permits the necessary flexing of the frame and the supporting springs during installation and removal of the lubricator while providing adequate support for the frame and pad when in operating position.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, to the left of the central section A two outer articulated transverse frame sections A and A are secured to the straps I2 and I3 as by eyelets or rivets I8 and on the right hand side of central frame A another set of two outer articulated transverse frame sections A and A are disposed and attached to the straps I2 and I3 as by eyelets or rivets I9. In the illustrated device the eyelets I8 and I9 also extend through and secure the pad III to the top of frame F.

One of these outer articulated frame sections is illustrated in Figure 5 and as all of units A A A and A are identical like reference characters will be employed in referring to the parts thereof. Each outer section comprises a pair of end platform portions 20 and 2I having centrally located holes '22 and .23 to accommodate the rivets or other securing means by which the sections are attached to the resilient strap members I2 and I3. The end portions 20 and 2| are connected by side flange members 24 and 25 and a center stiffening rib 26 extends across between the flanges 24 and 25. It will be noted that the top edges of the flanges 24 and 25 are curved to permit the lubricating pad I0 to follow the cylindrical contour of the journal I. Projecting from the flange 24 is an interlocking tab or lug 2'! having its top edge 21' extending substantially parallel to the platforms .20 and 2i and its lower edge '21" cut away or relieved on an are which preferably has its center substantially in the plane of the end platforms 20 and 2I and on a center line drawn through the rivet holes 22 and 23. The radius of this are is indicated at R in Figure 5 and is such as to permit flexing of the platform F without undesirable bending or looseness of the lug 21 in its cooperating slot (presently to be described) in the flange of the adjacent transverse section. A vertically extending slot 28 is formed in the flange 25 in a position which corresponds to that of the lug 21 on flange 24. These slots 28 are slightly larger than the lugs 21 to permit free movement of lugs 21 in slots 28 without excessive lost motion or slack.

The center section A is generally similar in form to the sections A A which are illustrated in Figure 5 but, instead of being provided with a slot 28 and 3, lug 21, it is'provided with two slots, 29 and 30, formed respectively in its side flanges 3| and 32. Connecting the side flanges 3| and 32 is a center stiffening rib 33 and the end platforms, one of which is seen at 34 in Figure 4, are generally similar to the platforms 20 and 2I of the articulated outer frame sections A A In assembling the frame structure F the articulated section A is secured to the straps I2 and 3 with its lug'21 extended to the slot 29 in the flange SI of the center section A The side flange 24 of section A normally is parallel to and in engagement with the side flange 3| of section A. In like manner outer articulated section A is assembled on the straps I2 and I3 with its lug 27 extending through the slot '28 in the flange 25 of section A and with the side flanges '24 of section A in abutting relation with side flange 25 of section A In like manner the articulated outer sections A and Marc also assembled Onthestraps l2 and it, it bein particularly notedhowever that the sections A and A 'face in the opposite: direction from sections A and A that is, the lugs 21 of sections A and A 'faice to the right (I -igni e 4:) toward the center section A while the lugs 21 of section'sA andA face'to' the left toward the center section A.

Each of the transverse sectional members which makeup the frame F ispro'vided withcente'r openings, seen at 35 and 36 in Figure 5, through-whichthe wicks H extend when the pad Wis-secured totmnamen. Preferably the-pad iii extends around the ends of the frame F and may be secured thereto as by suitable eyelets 31. The curved upper edges of the sideflanges'of the frame sections support the padl while permitting itto assume a trough like shapeand aecom modate itself to the contour ofthe journal shaft I when in engagement therewith.

As the spring; supports Iii-I i and l|---l'| are attached at their upper central p'ortions only to the center section A, are made of resilient spring metal and are curved as has been described above, they may readily be bentupwardly toward the frame F to facilitate insertion of the lubrieato'r unit into operating position in the journalbox through the clearance space C. In Figure 2 the right hand portions of the springs have been so compressed and slid into the journal box past the shaft collar 2. The left hand or outboard end of the entire lubricating unit is illustrated as bent upwardly, both the frame F and the supporting springs being distorted out of their normal positions to permit the lubricat'or to pass through the available clearance space. It will be observed from Figure 2 that the center frame section A and the outer frame sections A and A will separate when the spring straps l2 and I3 are bent upwardly but that the flanges 21 will not be completely' pulled out of their corresponding slots in the side flanges of the adjacent section. In like manner the opposite ends of the spring strap members !2 and I3 may be bent upwardly relative to the center section A carrying therewith the articulated sections A and A which are maintained in alignment by lug and slot engagement with each other.

Each end of the pad supporting frame F is bendable relative to the center section of the frame only in an upward direction. When in normal flat or straight line position, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, the transverse sections are aligned and a rigidbase is provided for the pad l0, it being noted that the frame F cannot bend downwardly from its straight line position due to the interengagement of the side flanges of the adjacent sections. Furthermore, undesirable warping, twisting, or lateral displacement of the frame sections relative to each other is prevented by the locating and guiding lugs 21 and their corresponding slots. By relieving the lower edges 21' of the lugs 21 the upward bending of the frame F is permitted while maintaining each lug 21 in guiding position in its corresponding slot in the adjacent frame section. As the sections A and A are identical with the sections A and A manufacturing costs are reduced and assembly is simplified. My improved articulated journal box lubricator possesses the necessary rigidity against undesirable deformation while in operating position in a journal box but may easily be distorted to permit installation orwithdrawali through". extremely limited clearance spaces.

Although I have illustrated. and described in considerable; detail one: embo'diment of. my journal box lubi' ica-t'orit will be understood that variation'siandmodifications may be madein the form, arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the spirit of my invention. 1 do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the pa'rticular construction herein illustrated and described but claim as my invention all embodiments thereof coming within the scopo offthe appended claims;

I claim:

1. journal lubricat'or of: the type described comprising a lubricating pad; resilient supporting means adapted to maintain said pad in. lubrieating engagement with a journal; and: an articulated pad carrying frame mounted onsaid resilient supporting means, said frame including a plurality of adjacent transverse sections, said adj'a cent sections having downwardly extending portions which when in engagement align said sec tions in straight line arrangement, and flexible resilient strap member secured to said sections at points spaced from said downwardly extending portions thereof and adapted tohold said sections together whereby downward flexing of said strap portion to move said sections out of said straight line arrangement is prevented while upward fiexing of said strap with accompanying movement and separation of. said sections is permitted.

2. A journal lubricator of the type described comprising a lubricating pad; resilient supporting' means adapted to maintain said pad in lubricating engagement with a journal; and an articulated pad carrying frame mounted on said resilient supporting means, said frame including a plurality of adjacent transverse sections, said adjacent sections havin downwardly extending portions which when in engagement align said sections in substantially straight line arrangement, a flexible resilient strap member secured to said sections at points spaced from said downwardly extending portions thereof and adapted to hold said sections together whereby downward flexing of said strap portion to move said sections out of said straight line arrangement is prevented while upward flexing of said strap with accompanying movement and separation of said sections is permitted, and means for preventing substantial relative twisting or lateral movement between each pair of said sections comprising a lug projecting from the said downwardly extending portion of one of the sections of the pair into a slot formed in the said downwardly extending portion of the other section of said pair.

3. In a journal lubricator, an articulated lubricating pad supporting frame comprising a center section and adjacent outer sections each having depending side flanges, a resilient strap member, means for securing said sections to said strap member with their adjacent side flanges normally in engagement, said strap member permitting said frame to be bent upwardly and said engaging flanges preventing said frame from being bent downwardly, said adjacent flanges being provided with interengaging lugs and slots whereby said sections are restrained from substantial relative lateral movement but said upward bending movement is not prevented; a lubricating pad carried by said frame; and resilient means secured to said center section only for supporting said frame above the bottom of a journal box in which the lubricator is installed and maintaining said pad in journal lubricating position.

4. A journal lubricator comprising a lubricating pad; wick means depending from and secured to said pad; a pad supporting frame; and resilient supporting means for holding said frame and pad in journal lubricating position when the lubricator is installed in a journal box; said frame being made up of a plurality of transversely extending sections each having a pad supporting portion, said sections having engaging flange portions which locate said pad supporting portions in substantially straight line arrangement when the flanges of adjacent sections are in engagement, a resilient strap member to which each of said sections is secured, said strap member being bendable in one direction only due to the engagement of said flange portions of said adjacent sections.

5. A journal lubricator of the type described comprising a lubricating pad supporting frame structure; resilient means for supporting said frame structure in a journal box; and a lubricating pad carried by said frame structure; said frame structure including spaced longitudinally extending spring metal straps connected by a plurality of adjaoently disposed transverse sections, said sections being secured to said straps and having downwardly depending portions which are in engagement with corresponding portions on adjacent sections when said frame structure is in its normal flat position.

6. In an articulated journal lubricator, a frame structure; resilient supporting means for said frame structure; a lubricating pad secured to said frame structure; and Wicks depending from said lubricating pad; said frame structure having a normal flat position and bein bendable out of said flat position in a direction away from said supporting means but being substantiall rigid against bending movement out of said normal fiat position toward said supporting means; said frame structure comprising a center transverse section having end platform portions and depending side flange portions, articulated outer transverse sections disposed on opposite sides of said center section, each of said outer sections having end platform portions and depending side flanges, and means for securing said sections together comprising spaced longitudinally extending straps of spring metal secured to said platform portions of said frame sections at spaced points whereby said straps may be bent upwardly out of normal fiat position and said sections are held in adjacent abutting relation preventing downward bending movement of said straps.

- 7. A journal lubricator of the type described comprising an articulated frame, a lubricating pad carried by said frame, spaced upper spring support members secured to said frame intermediate their ends and having the upper surfaces of their end portions concave, and lower spring support members having hinged connection to the ends of said upper spring support members, said lower spring support members also having their upper surfaces generally concave.

8. A journal lubricator of the type described comprising an articulated frame, a lubricating pad carried by said frame, spaced upper spring support members secured to said frame intermediate their ends and having the upper surfaces of their end portions concave, and lower spring support members having hinged connection to the ends of said upper spring support members, said lower spring support members also having their upper surfaces generally concave and having reversely curved central portions.

HILLIS F. HACKEDORN, JR.

REFERENCES CITED ihe following references are of record in the 

